Romeo And Juliet
by Can'tBeBroken
Summary: Meredith Grey, a less than popular slightly spiteful teenager, and Mark Sloan, a popular high school football star, are forced into doing a modern version of Romeo and Juliet at Edison High. Full Summery Inside. MerMark. AU
1. Disciplinary Actions

**Summery: Meredith Grey, a less than popular slightly spiteful teenager, and Mark Sloan, a popular high school football star, are forced into doing a modern version of Romeo and Juliet at Edison High. While practically living in their own Romeo and Juliet story. MerMark. AU.**

**Disclaimer: I own Edison High, but I don't Grey's Anatomy. I don't own Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but I am writing the modern version of the play. **

**This story has been in my head for a while. I figured I'd give it a try.**

**--**

"Nice of you to join us, Miss. Grey. What's your excuse this time?" Mrs. Channel said without turning away from the board as Meredith slipped into the back of the room as quietly as possible.

"Sorry, I..." She responded trying to come up with an excuse for her tardiness once again as she made her way to her desk.

Mrs. Channel sighed throwing the chalk down. "I want to see you after class, Miss. Grey."

"Yes, Mrs. Channel." Meredith sighed as she fell into the chair beside Christina.

Christina gave her an amused smile earning a glare from Meredith.

Meredith Grey was the daughter of most famous surgeon Ellis Grey. She had grown up in Boston until her mother relocated her to New York in the middle of eight grade and quickly fell into a tight group of friends: Alex Kerev, Christina Yang, George O'Malley, and Izzie Stevens. They stuck together through graduation of middle school and their freshman and sophomore years of high school. Now they were juniors and looking forward to their senior year.

The class went by slowly as it usually did, and most of the time she spent thinking about what she would do over the weekend. The bell rang and everyone gathered their things and walked out while Meredith hung back. Christina told her she would wait for her outside and quickly left.

She gathered her things and waited for the teacher to say something. Mrs. Channel walked back and forth thinking about something to say.

"Meredith, you're a bright student. Very bright. You get straight 'A's' but… Meredith, you're constantly late. I've been putting off calling your mother because I know your potential. Today was the last straw."

"Mrs. Channel, please don't call her. She wouldn't understand."

"To tell you the truth, I don't understand. Everybody else can get here on time. Why can't you?"

"It won't happen again."

Mrs. Channel sighed and walked over to her desk. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a piece of paper setting in front of her. "We still need a Juliet for our modern-day Romeo and Juliet play. Rehearsals start tomorrow after noon. If you go and give it your all, I won't report your tardiness to the office."

Meredith stared at her for a second before picking up the flyer for the play. After a few minutes, silence hung in the air before nodding. "Fine, I'll do it." She sighed.

"Good. Here are the scripts. You should read over Shakespeare's original version, but we'll be performing the modern-day one." Mrs. Channel smiled handing her the scripts. "You may go, Mrs. Grey. Try not to be late next time for my class."

"Of course, Mrs. Channel." Meredith said standing up and scrambling out. Christina was waiting outside the door when she got out. "I'm in hell."

"What? Is she reporting you?" Christina asked falling into step with Meredith. Meredith passed her the scripted. After reading the title, she let out a loud laugh.

"You? Acting? She's bribing you?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "I don't have a choice."

"Why are there two?"

"I have to read the Shakespearean one too. Ugh, this sucks."

--

Mark Sloan was a jock in every sense of the word. He put most of his energy towards football almost year round. His education never suffered though. His mother and father made sure of it. He was born and raised in New York. He was smart, but slacked off during class, made jokes, and hung out with the most popular crowd in school. Every girl wanted or had gone out with him. That was the way it always had been.

"It's not so good to see you again, Mr. Sloan." The principal said standing in the doorway to his office.

"You know, you were missing me, Dr. McAlister." Mark chuckled standing up from the chair.

"What brings you by this time, Mark?" Dr. McAlister asked shutting the door to his office behind them. Mark settled into his normal chair on one side of the desk. "I doubt you stopped by just to say 'hello.'"

"It's nothing to worry about. You can wag your finger if it makes you feel better then you can write the pass back to class."

"Why were you sent here?"

"It's nothing. I snapped at Ms. Talley."

"You can't do that, Mark. You're a junior now. You need some self-control… Some dedication to something other than football."

"We are basically undefeated three years running thanks to me."

"I know, and we are all grateful, but you won't be a football star forever."

"My grades aren't suffering."

"No, but you've been in and out of here more times than anyone can count because of that mouth of yours. I'm going to have to start taking action. So…"

"Alright, have it your way, I'll watch what I say."

"I want proof that for once you'll be dedicated to something else other than football. I want proof that you will be too occupied to be here, Sloan." He sighed. "Mrs. Teller needs a Romeo for the play. Jimmy Walker broke his leg. If you do this, I'll lay off."

"And if I don't?"

"I'm going to have to give take disciplinary actions."

"Dr. McAlister, I would get kicked off the team!"

"I'm sorry, Mark. But football doesn't make you untouchable. I'm giving you a choice. Whether you take it or leave it is your decision."

Mark leaned forward on his knees and sighed letting out a short nod. "Yeah, sure."

"Good choice, rehearsals are tomorrow."


	2. Seriously?

Mark's best friend, Derek Shepherd, walked along side him as they made they're way towards the stairs for lunch. Derek was laughing loudly as he looked at the Shakespearean version of the script.

"Seriously, man, put that away. I don't even want to think about it." Mark rolled his eyes.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name." Derek said in a mock-female voice.

"Who even speaks like that? This is so messed up. I'm not even kidding."

"Dude, you should be this Benvolio dude."

"How the hell do you even understand this shit?"

"We read it last year, Dumb-ass. But, I really think I'm on to something here. Benvolio is exactly like you."

"You're such a dork, Shep." Mark rolled his eyes taking the papers from him. He stuffed them into his book bag as they walked down the stairs. The cafeteria was right off the hall that the stairs led down to. It was cluttered with people who had gotten there before them. Most eating the nearly unbearably gross cafeteria food or whatever it was they tried to pass off as food.

He glanced around the cafeteria as they walked towards their normal table. Each clique had a table or two. Most had extra chairs pulled up to them to accommodate all the people who had to fit. He sighed and sat down in between Addison and Derek.

--

She walked into the cafeteria and sat down at her usual table with Alex, Christina, Izzie, and George.

They weren't in the popular group at Edison High. They never got caught up in those superficial things. They enjoyed their weird friendship and valued their independence from the jocks and cheerleaders.

Christina Yang was a lot like Meredith in that she was brilliant with a dark and twisted side. She never was a geek and laughed at the popular kids. She and Meredith met in the eight grade after Meredith moved to Seattle. They quickly became each other's persons and supported each other in a weird way through thick and thin.

Alex Kerev had been one of Meredith's closet friends since the ninth grade. He was the pompous, cocky type. He was into a lot of sports, but never got himself involved in the jock/popular crowd instead he made fun of them. His past was messy with an abusive, absent father. He beat his father up and kicked him out of the house half way through his ninth grade year and spent most of his time with Meredith during that time trying to move past it.

Izzie Stevens moved into the house down the street Meredith's from Newport, Rhode Island during the summer between eighth and ninth grade. She looked like a model with the whole blonde hair, big boobs kind of thing but wasn't the stereotypical pretty girl. She didn't want to be the popular girl who made no difference and had no ambitious other than to be the next Miss. Washington. She wanted to 'change the world.'

George O'Malley lived in New York his whole life but moved from Long Island in the middle of their ninth grade. He was a slightly dorky guy who was always there for people even if it could possible hurt himself. He was smart and kind, but safe as well. He put other people's needs before his.

"Christina said you were late again, Mer." Izzie causally said.

"Acting? Seriously, Mer?" Alex laughed. "In Romeo in Juliet?"

"Shut up, Evil Spawn." Meredith glared.

"When is it?" George asked.

"Two months or something?" She shrugged.

"Who's Romeo?" Izzie asked with a suggestive smirk.

Meredith rolled her eyes at her friend. "Last I heard Jimmy Walker."

"The band geek?" Christina laughed. "Oh my god, you have to kiss him."

"Shut up." She grumbled burying her head in her hands.


	3. Their Lives

She shut the door to her locker

She shut the door to her locker. After an hour in the library looking through books on the US government, she was finally ready to get home. Gathering her books in her arms, she started down the hall. Her books dropped from her arms when someone ran into her shoulder. Glaring up at the person, she saw Mark Sloan continuing down the hall after mumbling some sort of an apology. Rolling her eyes, she knelt down to gather her things grumbling about the incident.

There was a football game today which made Mark Sloan and people like him believe that he has the right to act like more a jerk than usually since he would be 'saving the game.' He was the quarterback on the team and the saving grace to the world of Edison High football and the football star of the school. His best friend and wingman with the ladies was one of the wide receivers on the football team, Derek Shepherd. Their closet friend, besides each other, was Addison Montgomery, the rich and spoiled captain of the cheerleading squad. She had a fling with both Mark and Derek during freshman year. Neither lasted long since Derek was too busy with school and football to go on dates, and Mark wasn't near ready to be tied down to one girl. He was the kind of guy to show up at a party with three girls in mind and left with two new ones on his list.

Making her way into the student parking lot, she noticed Mark and Derek stood at the front of Derek's car wearing the black and light blue jerseys that they had been wearing all day like they did every time they have a game. Most of the rest of the foot team stood around as well. Addison was sitting on the hood in her cheerleading uniform letting out burst of her flirty giggle.

Rolling her eyes, Meredith unlocked her car and dropped her stuff in the passenger seat. Giving one last glance in their direction, she sighed. She really hated popular people.

It wasn't that she didn't have everything she wanted and then some. Her mother always handed her a credit card whenever Meredith went shopping. Her mother always showered her with gifts: new cars, new clothes, new cell phones, a new Ipod, and anything else she thought she needs/wants. If for no other reason than to keep her content with her life as it is. She was always busy with her career and furthering the name of Ellis Grey throughout the world as a surgeon. She wasn't around much and when she was she was either contently working on paperwork at her desk or studying up for a new surgery on her laptop. She and her mother had an on again, off again relationship that was usually in the "off" mode and turned even more bitter after one of their notorious Grey vs. Grey fights that usually had neighbors complaining. They were usually about something about Ellis's on and off take on motherhood. Sometimes, she was a mother. Other times, she didn't want to be. Usually, they blew over in a couple days and things would return to normal for a week or so. Her father hadn't been in her life for eight years when he decided to walk out of her life. Meredith never knew why and she didn't bother to ask. She remembered her father being there for her. Then one day after a fight between him and Ellis, he became cold and distant. He decided he like the taste of Vodka better than being a husband and father. Two weeks later, he left. He gave her a glance then walked out into the cold December air. After that, he never called. He never fought to see his daughter. He never cared. It was another two weeks until Ellis moved them to Boston. Five years later, they moved to New York. She eventually got used to an empty house after they got to Boston. And as time went on, the more scarce her mother's appearance became. She dealt with it. She got a new car before the old one got old, or she got a new cell phone before the old one was considered out of date. This ritual was something that made her sleep better at night. And the perks weren't that bad. So Meredith just lived with it pushing the feelings of abandonment and neglect to the back of her mind.


	4. Day One

The next day, school went by at the same pace it always did… slowly. After the final bell rang, she and Christina walked down the hall talking mostly about what had happened in their last class.

"So am I coming over?"

"I've got that stupid practice today." She groaned.

"Oh right." She laughed. "Have fun with that."

Meredith stopped at the top of the stairs where she and Christina were going to have to part. "I'm sure I will."

"See you later." She said before walking away.

Meredith sighed and walked into the auditorium. The art club was on the stage panting sets while Mrs. Tanner, the art club director, paced the stage ranting about how things had to look. Mrs. Teller, the drama club director and drama teacher, stood beside the stage shuffling through papers. Sighing, she moved her books around in her arms and walked down towards her.

The young woman looked up and smiled. She was in her mid to late twenties and had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was a nice enough woman but forceful when it came down to 'the magic of the arts.'

"Hello." She said.

"Hi, Ms. Teller. I'm Meredith Grey…"

"Our Juliet!" She squealed loudly throwing her hands up with joy.

"Yeah, that." She sighed.

"Oh, Meredith, you're going to do great. Have you read the stories?"

"Yes."

"Great. Have a seat. We'll start as soon as our Romeo gets here."

Meredith nodded and sat with the other cast who chatted among themselves. It wasn't long that the door opened again. Mark Sloan walked in carrying his motorcycle helmet with his book bag over his shoulder. Meredith sighed. How long did it take for Jimmy to get here? She needed for him to come in, be Romeo, and then she could go home.

"Hi, I'm Mark Sloan." He said to Mrs. Teller.

"Romeo, Oh Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?" She said dramatically. He just gave her a slightly uncomfortable smile. "Romeo, you can sit down by Juliet."

"Which is who?" He asked looking at the people who sat in front of him.

"I am!" Three girls squealed at the same time. This made a smirk grow on his lips.

"Meredith Grey." Ms. Teller said gesturing Meredith. Mark's smirk fell as he looked at the girl. She fidgeted in her seat as Mark fell down beside her. They sat uncomfortably beside each other. "Okay… Let's begin! Let's start with the first scene with Romeo and Juliet at the party. Mark, Meredith on the stage, please." Glumly, they got up and trudged up the stairs without looking at each other. "Smiles, people. You're in the theater!" Meredith and Mark gave her fake overenthusiastic smiles as they flipped through the pages. "Alright, so Romeo was accidentally invited to the Capulet's party. In the original, Romeo had read a list of names for a Capulet servant who couldn't read, so the servant invites him to the Capulet's party for a glass of wine as long as he wasn't a Montague. As we all know, he was. But, Romeo lies and he'll go, so he can pursue Rosaline, the woman who had broken his heart."

"God, it's going to be a long day." Mark groaned inaudibly.

--

The first day had ended. After two hours of dryly reading the script and being critiqued by Ms. Teller, it was finally over. He grabbed his motorcycle helmet and bag and walked out before Ms. Teller could stop him. He was not about to spend anymore time in the auditorium confessing his fictional undying love to Meredith Grey. Couldn't they have gotten someone else to do the part? She wasn't ugly, but she sure as hell wasn't gorgeous from what he could tell. She wore jeans and oversized sweatshirts all the time. In the three years they had classes together, he had never seen her actual body. She had a pretty face and nice colored hair, but she didn't do anything with that. Maybe if she did, she could hang out with the popular crowd instead of with the people she did hang out with.

Meredith followed soon after. She grabbed her bag and walked out. By the time she got to the parking lot, Mark was flirting with some girl wearing a cheerleading workout uniform. He was sitting on his motorcycle with his flirtatious smirk, and the girl was giggling furiously.

Tomorrow, they'd be back in the auditorium for two hours. She'd go back to pretending that she and Mark actually saw eye-to-eye. They didn't. The whole school probably knew that his crowd and her crowd clashed. He, along with Addison and Derek, was practically the leader of the conceited, egotistical, selfish, popular group. She was practically the leader of the quick-witted, slightly unpleasant, sarcastic, unpopular group. Alex was the closet thing to a jock that she associated with. He was arrogant, snide, and gook-looking. Izzie was the closet thing to a cheerleader. She was beautiful, preppy, and a little bit too happy at times. George was the closet thing to a dork. He was too kind, a little nerdy, and timid. Christina was sarcastic and unpleasant but brilliant. Then there was Meredith, the closet thing to dark and twisty. She had abandonment issues and never dealt with her emotions until it was too late and she just… blew up. She didn't let anyone in and when someone tried to get in her business she'd either yell or she'd go into her protective shell. She avoided bad, uncomfortable situations the best way she could, but when the problem was dead in front of her and there was no way to avoid it, she'd take care of it as quickly and efficiently as possible. She was protective of her friends and would fight like hell for them. She could hide the pain on her face, but anyone who spent five minutes with her would know it's there… She was definitely nothing like Mark Sloan.

--

Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been really busy.


End file.
